Scouting Virginia

Virginia has been consistent at being inconsistent.

The Cavaliers are 11-7 overall and 5-3 in the ACC and look to be on the path to the NIT Tournament under coach Tony Bennett. UVA has only scored over 80 points in one game, and in the 70s in just three contests — all wins.

Virginia plays at NC State will be at 4 p.m. Saturday on the ACC Network, weather permitting.

Virginia’s top win is against Providence on Nov. 23, and none of the Cavaliers’ five ACC wins were against squads who are .500 or better in the league.

The non-conference losses came against Navy in the season opener Nov. 9, Houston by 20 on Nov. 16, a one-point loss to Iowa on Nov. 29 and a shocking 52-49 defeat at James Madison on Dec. 7.

Rankings

Virginia is No. 92 in the NET rankings this season, and NC State is No. 121.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Cavaliers currently ranked No. 69 overall, and NC State is No. 106.

KenPom.com has Virginia at No. 85, and NCSU checks in at No. 107.

RealtimeRPI.com has NC State ranked No. 158 in the country, and Virginia is No. 73.

Shooting

The Cavaliers are shooting 45.1 percent form the field, 31.9 percent on three-pointers and 71.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Kihei Clark has a team-best 28 three-pointers and is shooting 37.3 percent. The big surprise is Indiana transfer Armaan Franklin has dipped from 42.4 percent on three-pointers last year for the Hoosiers, but is just 23.9 percent this season.

Rebounding

Virginia is getting out-rebounded 32.3-31.0 this season, with opposing teams snagging 182 offensive rebounds, which is 28 more than the Cavaliers.

Senior power forward Jayden Gardner leads the squad with 7.0 rebounds per game and redshirt sophomore center Kadin Shedrick is second with 5.1 rebounds a contest.

Defense

The hallmark of Virginia’s program, the Cavaliers are holding opponents to 58.8 points per game. Teams are shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 34.3 percent on three-pointers.

Shedrick has 48 steals and junior guard Reece Beekman has snagged 40 steals. UVA is averaging 5.3 blocks per game and 5.8 steals per contest.

Depth

Shedrick started 16 games at center, but has been replaced in the lineup. The athletic 6-11, 231-pounder is averaging 6.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, and is shooting 59.7 percent from the field. He had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the 74-69 win at Syracuse on Jan. 1.

Senior small forward Kody Stattman is averaging 3.1 points and 1.0 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game. Freshman guard Taine Murray is chipping 2.8 points in 9.2 minutes a contest. He is 8 of 19 on three-pointers.

Backup freshman post player Igor Milicic is averaging 2.5 points in 7.2 minutes per game, but the 6-10, 224-pounder is shooting 8 of 22 on three-pointers.

NC State is very familiar with Virginia senior power forward Jayden Gardner.

The former Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage High standout — he led them to a NCHSAA 4A state runner-up finish — signed with East Carolina and remained with the Pirates after Joe Dooley replaced coach Jeff Lebo. He put up terrific numbers at ECU for three years, and then transferred to Virginia.

Gardner finished with 2,282 career points at Heritage, which ranks 19th in NCHSAA history and is second all-time in Wake County. Rivals.com had him as a three-star prospect in the class of 2018.

NC State had played Gardner and ECU in “secret scrimmages” in the past, and the Wolfpack tried to land him as a transfer.

Gardner averaged 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last year at East Carolina, and he shot 47.9 percent from the field. The low-post force has improved his shooting to 52.7 percent from the field and 76.1 percent at the free-throw line. He is averaging 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in 30 minutes per game this season.

Gardner has four double-doubles this season for points and rebounds, and he had a season-high 29 points in a 82-49 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 18. In ACC action, he tallied 23 points in a 75-65 win at Clemson on Jan. 4.

Gardner has struggled of late, shooting a combined 10 of 33 from the field for 27 points in his last three games — at Pittsburgh and vs. Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.

NC State

PG — 5 Thomas Allen (6-1, 175, R-Sr., 4.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.4 apg)

SG — 0 Terquavion Smith (6-4, 160, Fr., 14.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.4 spg)

SF — 1 Dereon Seabron (6-7, 180, R-Soph., 19.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.6 spg)

PF — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 200, Sr., 14.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.4 spg)

C — 21 Ebenezer Dowuona (6-11, 225, Soph., 4.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.1 apg, 2.1 bpg)

Virginia

PG — 0 Kihei Clark (5-10, 172, Sr., 9.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.0 apg)

SG — 4 Armaan Franklin (6-4, 204, Jr., 12.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.2 spg)

G — 2 Reece Beekman (6-2, 181, Soph., 8.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.8 apg, 2.2 spg)

PF — 1 Jayden Gardner (6-6, 246, Sr., 14.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.3 rpg)

C — 22 Francisco Caffaro (7-1, 242, Jr., 4.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.3 apg)

3: Former North Carolina prep products at Virginia — power forward Jayden Gardner of Wake Forest Heritage, Kadin Shedrick of Holly Springs High and Carson McCorkle of Greensboro Day.

10.1 Turnovers per game for the Virginia offense.

33: Minutes played for point guard Kihei Clark against Texas Tech in the 85-77 overtime win in the 2019 NCAA Title game. He had three points and four assists.

Based on his outside shooting at Indiana last year, the 6-4, 204-pound Franklin would have garnered some preseason vote for best shooter in the ACC this season.

Through 18 games, Franklin has not shot well for the Cavaliers. He is 22 of 92 on three-pointers for 23.9 percent this season, and he’s basically shot well from deep in just three games. He went 5 of 8 on three-pointers for 21 points in a 73-52 win vs. Radford on Nov. 12.

The poor shooting is a far cry when he shot 42.4 percent from beyond the arc at Indiana last year, where he averaged 11.4 points a contest. He had seven games where he made at least three three-pointers, including three where he drained at least five.

Franklin went 3 of 9 for six points in his last game at Pittsburgh on Wednesday. However, he had an ACC-high 18 points and three three-pointers in the 63-55 loss vs. Wake Forest on Jan. 15.

Rivals.com had Franklin as the No. 140 overall player in the class of 2019 coming out of Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral.

The 6-4, 160-pound Terquavion Smith is averaging 14.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, and is shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 35.2 percent on three-pointers. Smith is 5 of 22 from three-point range in his last two games.

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